Machinery for felting hats



(No Model.) v

- J. S. TAYLOR.

'MAGHINERY FOR 'PELTING HATS.

No. 263,076. Patented Aug. 22", I882.

Wain ex: 64".

N. PEIEIIS, mMim nm Wm me.

iijnrrnn Amer FFfCE-t JAMES s. TAYLOR, on DANBURY, oonnnoriour.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,076, dated August 22, 1882.

I Application filed January 18, 1882. (No model.)

ing expedients usually employed for that pur- To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. TAYLOR, of Danbury, county of Fair-field, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Felting Hats, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification and accompa- .nying drawings, having letters of reference marked thereon. V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine, partly in section. Fig. 2 is aview of a detached detail, as hereinafter explained.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the process of felting hat goods, and other fabrics.

In the drawings, F represents the frame of the machine.

K is a kettle for containing hot water, (represented at w w.)

R R R represent three rollers, about four inches in diameter and about two feet long, placed nearly or quite parallel with each other, provided with suitable bearings at each end, and having driving-gears C C 0 to which motion is communicated by means of connecting-gears P P. .The roller R is suspended at each end in the hangih g frame F so as to be entirely immersed in the water. The roller R is suspended by means of levers L L, which turn on centers represented at c. To this roller a vibratory motion is communicated through the connecting-rods H H by means of the crankwheelsVV, the levers L L and crank-w heels V V being-each provided with a slot, S S, for the purposeof adjusting the connecting-rods H H, whereby to increase or decrease the pressure against the goods to be felted. The roller R is also suspended by means of the levers L L at each end, and turning on centers represented at 0 To this roller an elastic or yielding force is applied by means of springs at one or both ends, as represented at 0.

The axes of the. two rollers It R are nearly perpendicularly in line with the center bean ing-points, P P. This arrangement, while pose. verse curve form an opening or chamber for receiving and discharging the goods and for felting the same, the roller R constituting the.

base of the receptacle and the rollers R R the sides without the interposition of any roller or other object.

The three rollers It R It are held by means of the hanging frame F so that the roll of goods to be felted is from one-fourth to one-half immersed in the heated liquid, as shown by thevdotted line, while the remaining portions of the goods are exposed to the cool ing action of the air as they are revolved in the machine, thus exposing and subjecting their several portions to the continued and alternate action of air and water, heat and cold, and at the same time to the rolling and felting motion imparted by the machine.

The roller It is provided with adjustable knuckles Z Z, one being shown detached in Fig. 2. These knuckles or projections are conical or tapering in form, about one to one and one-half inch in diameter at the base, and of equal height, having for their purpose that of being forced against the goods to be felted, giving a proper degree of falling motion to enliven up the goods in the manner analogous to that imparted in the well-known process of felting by hand. These knuckles are made of elastic materialas rubber-or of wood, glass, porcelain, or of metals suitable for withstanding the action of the acids usually used by the trade, and may be round, square, or of other forms. They may be made adjustable to the roller by means of bolts or screws, as represented at Z, Fig. 2.

The roller R is made convex in its form, as represented, for the purpose of presenting the central portion of its surface against the central portion of the roll of goods, in order to felt that portion in agreater degree than the outer ends, and to prevent the formation of felting-welts in the goods, often found when subjected to. too much work near the outer ends of the rolls in the process of felting.

In operating the machine motion is communicated to the three rollers in the direction indicated by the arrows. The hat-bodies O, hav- The rollers thus supported in a transing been previously formed preparatory to the process of felting, are rolled up in a cloth usually employed for that purpose, and deposited in the chamber or receptacle (formed by the 5 arrangement of the rollers in a transverse curve) through the receivingspace from w to 00, the vibrating motion communicated to the roller R as it recedes from the center allowing the roll of goods to pass down to the IO said chamber. While the goods remain therein the continuous vibrating motion of the knuckled roller R, in connection with the revolving motion of the three rollersin the direction indicated by the arrows, imparts to the goods arolling and vibrating movement, while they are at the same time exposed to the heatin g and coolin g'action of water and air. The receding motion of the roller R allows goods to be entered and removed from the receptacle or chamber without removing either one of the rolls for that purpose, thus dispensing with a large amount of manual labor usually heretofore expended in releasing and securing one or more of the rolls. The roll of goods, as it is revolved in the machine, presents its lower surface to the action of the heated liquid, as indicated bythe dotted line, and absorbs so much of the heated liquid, as it alternately presents its lower surface to the water, as is necessary 0 to properly saturate and heat the fibers, which liquid is again immediately ejected or forced from the goods by the pressure of the revolving rollers. The roll of goods is therefore continually saturated and resaturated at its un- 5 der portion with the heated liquid, while the liquid is ejected from its upper portion. The goods are thus alternately subjected to heating and cooling action, as well as repeatedly saturated by and freed from water, as also sub- 0 jected to the rotary, compressive, and vibratory mechanical action of the machine.

1 do not in the present application claim a method ofscaldingandfeltinghat-bodies which consists in rolling and manipulating the goods in scalding water on open rollers Withoutsuperimposed pressure. Neither in the present application do I claim the combination, in a hatfelting machine, of a kettle and a series of rollers suspended therein in a transverse curve,

with pinions or gearing for driving said rollers together and in the same direction, such method and mechanical combination being set forth and claimed in an application filed by me of even date herewith; but,

Having described my invention, what I 5; claim asnew is- 1. The method-herein described of scalding and felting hat-bodies, which consists in rolling the goods alternately in air and hot water on open rollers withoutsuperimpos'ed pressure, and at the same time subjecting the goods to automatic compression and vibratory movement, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hat-felting machine, a kettle and a series of rollers suspended therein on a trans- 6 verse curve, the lower roller being in fixed bearings and the upper rollers automatically yielding or constructed to have lateral vibration, combined with gearing for rotating said rollers simultaneously and in the same direction, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hat-felting machine, a kettle and a series of three rollers suspended therein on a transverse curve, the lower roller being in fixed bearings, one of the upper rollers having positive lateral vibration and the other upper roller resting in elastic or yielding bearings, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a hat-felting machine, of a kettle and a series of rollers suspended therein on a transverse curve, one. of which, R, is provided with knuckles and adapted to be given positive lateral vibration, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a hat-felting machine, of a kettle and a series of rollers suspended therein on a transverse curve, one of which, R is convex and mounted in elastic or yielding bearings, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination, in ahat-felting machine, 0 of a kettle and a series of rollers suspended therein on a transverse curve, the roller R being in fixed bearings, the roller It provided with knuckles and adapted to receive positive lateral vibration, and the other roller, R con- 5 vex and mounted in elastic or yielding bearings, substantially as set forth.

7. The adjustableknuckles Z,combined with a roller or rollers of a hat-felting machine, substantially as set forth.

JAMES S. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

WM. H. FRY, E. M. BULKLEY. 

